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Source: https://www.inss.org.il/publication/coronavirus-and-fake-news/
Fake News about the Coronavirus Pandemic
(Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University) Roy Schulman and David Siman-Tov - The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Feb. 2 that the coronavirus epidemic was accompanied by an "infodemic" that could threaten public health. The pandemic provokes a wide range of emotions and fears, which are easy to exploit in order to attract attention and encourage content sharing. Fake news about the coronavirus may involve misinformation - the dissemination of false information - or disinformation - false information spread deliberately and maliciously, for personal gain or to cause damage to another party. Examples include accusations of concealing the number of people infected; rumors of a "miracle drug"; and blame for spreading the virus ascribed to minorities. In addition, rumors that the virus is a biological weapon are common. Israel has been mentioned in Iran as responsible for spreading the virus.